Nicholas II's responce
- Created by: Tori
- Created on: 18-02-20 21:54
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- Nicholas II's Responce
- The Failure of the August Manifesto
- Nicholas' advisors, especially Witte, hoped that the Manifesto would divide the opposition, hence taking a step to end the revolution.
- Promised to establish an elected consultative assembly (the Duma)
- Also set out a complex electoral system which gave all Russain men the right to vote.
- However, it ensured that the votes of the rich were worth more than those of the poor.
- Liberal Reaction
- Failed to win over liberals.
- The vast majority of liberals rejected it because...
- The proposed Duma was due to be consultative rather than legislative (no real power).
- The electoral system excluded national minorities.
- The electoral system did not include equal voting (peasants under represented).
- The Manifesto set no date for the first elections (Tsar could keep postponing it).
- The Manifesto contained no guarantee of individual rights, or press freedom.
- The proposal contained nothing to appease workers or peasants.
- Witte had no intention of compromising with Russia's poor.
- Hence, the August Manifesto did nothing to stop the protests of workers or peasants.
- Witte had no intention of compromising with Russia's poor.
- The October Manifesto
- The Tsar was an extremely weak position in October 1905.
- Opposition to his autocracy had grown since the summer.
- Additionally, the August Manifesto had alienated middle-class Russians.
- The Tsar responded with the October Manifesto.
- It was a decree which introduced seemingly radical constitutional reform.
- It succeeded in winning over a significant section of the Russian middle class.
- Promised major reforms:
- Greater freedoms.
- Promised that the government would respect individual rights, and allow greater press freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
- Elected representation.
- The Manifesto promised almost universal sufferage for Russian men.
- Equal voting rights for rich and poor.
- The Manifesto promised almost universal sufferage for Russian men.
- An elected Duma with the power to approve or veto new laws.
- Political parties and trade unions would be legalised.
- Greater freedoms.
- Response of Opposition Groups
- The Oct Manifesto succeeded in dividing opposition to the Tsar.
- Vast majority of liberals welcomed the Oct Manifestoo as a major step towards a constitutional monarchy.
- Many hoped that the Manifesto would effectively end the Tsar's autocracy and establish a liberal democratic regime.
- Radical liberals and socialists rejected the new Manifesto.
- For some liberals the reforms didn't give enough power to the Duma.
- Socialists argued that the reforms failed to address the peasants desire for land or the workers need for better conditions.
- The St Petersburg Soviet called a general strike to show thir rejection of the compromise set out in the Manifesto.
- The Tsar was an extremely weak position in October 1905.
- Renewed Violence
- The Tsar was also aided by renewed violence.
- The Union of Russian People (founded Nov 1905) and the Black Hundreds began pogroms against Jews and street fights with striking workers.
- The Union of Russian People fought for 'Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationality', the key principles of Tsarism.
- Racist violence increased during November.
- Contemporary newpapers indicate that thousands of Jews were killed.
- This appeal to racist nationalism helped turn the tide of the Revolution, as patriotism was one of the main supports of Tsarism.
- Tsar's position in November
- By mid-November opposition was split.
- Thus, the Tsar was in a much stronger position.
- However, the majority of Russia's workers were still on strike.
- Trotsky and the leaders of Russia's Soviets were determined to continue fighting for th workers' rights.
- By mid-November opposition was split.
- The Failure of the August Manifesto
- Nicholas was unable to regain control of Russia until October 1905.
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